1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to semiconductors, and more specifically, to a method for forming a Schottky diode having a metal-semiconductor Schottky contact.
2. Related Art
Various types of diodes can be formed depending on composition and doping profiles. Schottky diodes are typically formed to have a lower threshold voltage in a forward biased operation than a PN junction diode and are useful in a number of different applications. A Schottky diode may have a metal-semiconductor Schottky contact. The metal-semiconductor Schottky contact provides for high frequency operation (30 GHz-300 GHz) because, ideally, a Schottky diode is a majority-carrier device and therefore there is no storage of minority carriers and corresponding diffusion capacitance as in the PN junction diode. Also, a Schottky diode typically has lower flicker noise than a field effect transistor. However, a Schottky diode having a metal-semiconductor Schottky contact that is manufactured in a conventional complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process may require additional processing steps that increase the cost and complexity of a semiconductor device.
Therefore, what is needed is a method for making the Schottky diode having a metal-semiconductor Schottky contact that solves at least some of the above problems.